Wahine tourney hopes end

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

Both teams wanted to keep their Western Athletic Conference tournament berth hopes alive but it was the San Jose State women's soccer team that thoroughly outplayed the Hawaii Wahine last night at Ala Wai Field.

Now the Spartans await today's Nevada-Las Vegas at Utah result. If Utah beats UNLV, San Jose State is in the playoffs.

No matter what happens today or tomorrow, the Wahine are out of tournament contention.

SJS coach Philippe Blin set the tone for his Spartans at a team meeting yesterday in the hotel.

"I told them to look out over the ocean as far as they could see," Blin said. "I told them we know the importance of the match and to see how far they would have to reach. I asked them to set a goal, as if starting their own business, and focus on what it would take to succeed. Tonight, they took care of business."

The Spartans equaled their single match, season high in goals scored in the 3-1 victory. They constantly beat the Wahine to the ball and turned the UH tactic of constant pressure against the Wahine.

Blin went with three strikers, which the Hawaii defense didn't expect. The resulting confusion allowed SJS strikers to bear down on UH goalkeeper Amanda Paterson unhindered all too often. The Wahine were very fortunate to trail by only 1-0 at the half.

Paterson denied Molly Cowell on a one-on-one breakaway two minutes into the match with a diving stop. Cowell just missed the upper right corner with an uncontested shot 10 minutes later. Paterson was forced to make a foot save on another breakaway and took a goal away from Julie Brum with a diving stop.

In between, Megan Nelson, in all alone, dribbled past Paterson to score the first SJS goal at 20:45.

UH had two excellent chances early in the second half, but SJS goalkeeper Amee Brown got a hand on Tricia Nishikawa's shot and it deflected off the post and out of bounds. On the ensuing corner kick, Erin Schremser's shot was fisted over the bar by Brown.

In one of their few displays of consistent soccer, passes from Megan Lytle to Nishikawa to Dawn Dasher, who scored, pulled UH even at 68:30.

But four minutes later, UH defender Valerie Marciel, after a sliding tackle, got tangled up with a Spartan striker. After a mini-wrestling match, Marciel pulled the Spartan down by the hair.

Tennille Ruggiero made the penalty kick, deflating UH's comeback. She then sent a through pass to Brum, who iced the outcome with a goal at 75:28.

"We came out flat," said UH defender Camille Kalama.

"We knew we had to come out ready. We didn't and we paid for it," said midfielder Tui Moe.

"Nothing about San Jose State surprised me. Their record is deceiving," said UH head coach Pinsoom Tenzing. "It's very disappointing."

UH concludes the WAC schedule tomorrow at 7 p.m. against Fresno State at Ala Wai Field.